Lil Nas X shares cover art for his eagerly awaited debut album Montero

Lil Nas X unveiled the cover art for his highly-anticipated debut album Montero via Twitter on Tuesday, ahead of its September 17th release.

The cover shows the rapper floating naked in the air, in front of a backdrop inspired by John Stephens’ piece, ‘Genesis II.’

“MONTERO” 🦋💕
THE DEBUT ALBUM
OUT SEP. 17. 2021 pic.twitter.com/oga7KGClvI

— MONTERO 🦋 (@LilNasX) August 31, 2021

The two-time Grammy winner credited Stephen as his influence on the cover art:

“Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work,” tweeted the rapper.

INSPIRATION BEHIND
“MONTERO” 🦋💕
ALBUM ART:

ARTISTS: John Stephens
ART: (Genesis II)

“Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work” pic.twitter.com/0Ba9SJ6m2a

— MONTERO 🦋 (@LilNasX) August 31, 2021

Fans drew comparison between Lil Nas X floating figure and a shot from Spongebob where the beloved cartoon character is floating up to the heavens. The 'Old Town Road' hit-maker joked that this also inspired the cover art.

inspiration pic.twitter.com/eWJSSGxhV0

— MONTERO 🦋 (@LilNasX) August 31, 2021

Lil Nas X revealed the release date for Montero on August 26 with an album trailer. “Creating this album has been therapy for me,” he tweeted when sharing the release date.

“I've learned to let go of trying to control people’s perception of who I am, what I can do, and where I will be. I've realized the only opinion of me that really matters is my own," he added.

The 22-year old announced Montero in June, two months after the title track ‘Montero (Call Me By Your Name)’ dropped. He shared ‘Sun Goes Down’ in May and ‘Industry Baby’ featuring Jack Harlow in July with both included on the 15 track album.

The rollout for Lil Nas X’s debut album has grabbed the attention of music fans all over the world. From his blood-filled Satan shoe collaboration with Nike to his endless trolling on Twitter like his parody of Drake’s Certified Lover Boy cover art, the young star has drummed up plenty of hype for Montero.

The Atlanta born singer-songwriter said that he turned down an acting role in HBO’s Euphoria so he could finish Montero. “I definitely want to get into acting, but I feel I have to give it my all, and I want to focus on music for right now,” he said. “I want my first movie to be amazing.”

Listen to ‘Industry Baby’ below.